Time and Attendance Solutions for Small Businesses That Need a Change

Do you chase down employee time sheets every week and then spend more time checking their accuracy?

Have you considered what might happen if you made a payroll mistake that morphed into an employee complaint?

It’s easy to stick with something familiar, but an outdated employee time and attendance system can impact your bottom line. That’s why it’s important for employers to know when it’s time to make a change.

Saving time and money are good reasons to switch things up. Why should an outdated system drag down your business operations when there’s a better way to do the job?

Change doesn’t have to break the bank, either. The amount you’ll save with improved efficiency may be more than new employee time and attendance software costs.

Lose the Hourglass!

Old-fashioned time and attendance systems such as paper time sheets and unwieldy spreadsheets are inefficient and inaccurate. According to the American Payroll Association, companies that lack automated timekeeping systems have an approximate 8% error rate in payroll, which can add up to big bucks over time.

Working smarter, tracking hours more accurately and reducing paycheck errors can save a lot. Relying on old-fashioned paper forms, spreadsheets and punch cards can place your business at risk.

Timekeeping Software Reduces Stress, Saves Time & Improves Accuracy

Recognizing when it’s time to switch to a new system is important; the benefits can be immediate. Here are three examples:

David Malin was plagued by the inefficiency of an old-fashioned, paper-based, time-sheet reporting system that consumed hours of his time every week. As business administrator for the Keys for Kids Christian Ministry, David needed more time to focus the organization’s website, its 24-hour children’s radio station and its 15,000 listeners. Figuring payroll was a nightmare: David had to track down time slips, enter data into a spreadsheet and then calculate the hours and wages. It was a paperwork disaster until his business switched to timekeeping software. Afterward, the process took five minutes.

Frans Miller, of Logic Staffing, had similar challenges, but all the recordkeeping was spreadsheet-based. The recruiting agency’s system was tedious and time-consuming. When his company switched to an online employee attendance tracking system, Frans’ life got easier. With online attendance, Fran’s employees could schedule vacations and verify time off and work hours without assistance. When one worker complained that his hours were inaccurate, the stored data in the system provided evidence to prove otherwise.

Sara Bell, of The Gorge Zipline and Green River Adventures also used spreadsheets to calculate employee work hours and track employee schedules for her outdoor-adventuring businesses. Employees put their work schedules on paper calendars, but if there were scheduling changes, they couldn’t see them unless they were at work. Sara switched to online software and her scheduling disasters disappeared. Her employees were able to swap shifts through TrackSmart’s scheduling app, log vacations and track their own time off.

Important Facts About Timekeeping Systems

Every method for tracking time and attendance has pros and cons, but outdated systems tend to be the most inaccurate and inefficient.

Paper Forms — Information has to be written by hand so the risk of human error is high; time theft can easily occur if records are filled out incorrectly; this method is time-consuming.

Punch Cards — Paper punch cards are inexpensive and fairly efficient. But tallying the data and inputting it is time-consuming.

Mounted Wall Clocks — Employees punch in a passcode on a mounted wall clock which makes it possible for coworkers to clock each other in. Plus, these machines can be quite costly.

Why a New System May Be in Order

Did you know — one in three companies still relies on spreadsheets and other manual input to track time and attendance instead of switching to automation, even though manual timekeeping is fraught with human error?

The risk of mistakes multiplies as your business grows. Inaccurate records can lead to unhappy employees, which can result in compliance audits.

All are problems that could be solved by automation. So why take the risk with an old, manual system?

Time and Attendance Tracking Can Be Simple and Easy

Today’s cloud-based time and attendance software makes it easy to track and create employee time and attendance solutions.

Invest in TrackSmart software to log employee hours with accuracy and ensure you are meeting federal overtime standards.

Avoid costly fines for regulatory noncompliance with our Web-based software to keep track of employee shifts, time worked, and time off. Employees must log in to Tracksmart with their own credentials, ensuring the security of each employee’s personal information.